The Big D’s in Bankruptcy – Discharge and Dismissal

by DeLadurantey Law Office, LLC on February 14, 2014

The legal world has a lot of special terminology that can get confusing. When you file a personal bankruptcy, it is important to understand what the court’s words mean. Two of the most important terms to your case are “discharge” and “dismissal.”

One of the primary goals of filing a bankruptcy case is to obtain a discharge of your debt. Your discharge order eliminates your liability to pay certain creditors. Thus, when you are discharged by the court, you are likely no longer liable to pay credit card debt, medical bills and other debts included in your bankruptcy filing.

In contrast, a “dismissal” means that something has gone wrong in the bankruptcy case. If your case is dismissed by the court, it means that your filing is ending without the court discharging your debt. In other words, it is like your filing never occurred and you are still accountable to pay all of your creditors. Additionally, when the dismissal order is entered, the automatic stay is no longer effective and collection activity can re-commence against you.

Dismissal and discharge are both very important terms to understand in a bankruptcy case. They may sound similar, but they have opposite meanings. If you want to learn more about the bankruptcy process and how it can benefit you, schedule an appointment at DeLadurantey Law Office today.

Contact The “Milwaukee Bankruptcy Attorneys,” DeLadurantey Law Office. LLC for all your Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy needs. Whether you need debt negotiations or debt relief, or even foreclosure defense, DeLadurantey Law Office will handles bankruptcy matters for the following location – Milwaukee, South Milwaukee, West Milwaukee, Waukesha City, Waukesha Town, Kenosha, Racine, and all other municipalities in Milwaukee County, Waukesha County, Kenosha County, and Racine County. DeLadurantey Law Office, LLC can be contacted by phone at (414) 377-0518.